Protective case for mobile electronic device with storage compartment

ABSTRACT

A protective case for a mobile device is disclosed. The back face of the protective case includes a removable and interchangeable back plate with tension cord that is designed to hold the user&#39;s personal items like ear buds, keys, credit cards, license, etc. Apertures and/or buttons are provided on the side walls and back face wall of the case to facilitate access and/or operation of the mobile device (e.g., volume buttons, silent switch, power and data port, on/off button, silent switch, speaker and microphone, and camera and flash/illumination controls). Various aspects of the construction and configuration of the case, back plate and storage compartment are disclosed.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

N/A.

BACKGROUND Field

This invention relates to accessories for electronic devices and more specifically to user removable protective enclosures or cases for mobile electronic devices.

Description of the Related Art

Mobile consumer electronic products, such as smart and cellular phones, computing tablets, MP3/audio/video players, gaming devices and laptops are known to sustain damage from impact and/or contamination as a result of ingress of water or other fluid. The damage, for example, may result in a cracked or shattered screen, surface scratches, lost or damaged buttons and/or failed or malfunctioning mechanical and/or electrical components.

Protective cases have been developed to protect such mobile electronic devices including some that provide storage for a user's personal items. The invention here recognizes, however, that such cases with personal storage are captive to the case and include structured compartments, each of which limits on usability.

SUMMARY

Disclosed are numerous aspects of a unique and inventive protective case configured to receive, retain and protect a mobile device. The case may be for a mobile electronic device that is in the form of a smartphone, tablet, an MP3 audio player, a gaming device, or other portable handheld electronic device having an interactive touchscreen display with screen edge finger gesture control capability. In an illustrated implementation the protective case is configured for the Apple iPhone X.

Such mobile devices typically include a front and back opposing faces, which define the thickness of the mobile device, a perimeter that defines the top, bottom, right, and left sides of the device with intersecting regions of the sides defining the corners of the device. The perimeter may comprise a metallic bezel that resides between the front and back faces, while the front face comprises an interactive touchscreen display adapted, in one or more locations, to being responsive to screen edge finger gesture control, such as in the Apple iPhone X.

The protective case is generally comprised of an open-faced compartment that is configured to receive and retain the mobile device. The compartment includes a plurality of walls corresponding to the outer configuration of the device that are configured to surround the sides and/or the back of the mobile device and a touchscreen opening that is defined in the front face wall of the case by a perimeter lip or projecting edge that is configured to overlie the front face of the device to facilitate user access to the touchscreen of the device while also capable of serving to retain the device in the compartment.

The back face of the protective case includes a back plate with a suitable elastic member, such as a tension cord, adapted to holding there between the user's personal items like ear buds, keys, credit cards, license, etc. The back plate may be user removable from the case and interchangeable with other back plates. Apertures and/or buttons are provided on the side walls and back face wall of the case to facilitate access and/or operation of the mobile device (e.g., volume buttons, silent switch, power and data port, on/off button, silent switch, speaker and microphone, and camera and flash/illumination controls).

The protective case may be manufactured using polymers or any suitable material such as wood and/or metal or combinations thereof. In one implementation, the protective case is formed of one or more molded polymer materials, such as polycarbonate (PC), thermoplastic urethane (TPU), thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), nylon, silicone rubber or a combination thereof.

Softer more elastic or flexible materials (such as TPU, TPE, or rubber) may form all or portions of the side walls and top face perimeter lip of the case, while relatively more rigid materials (such as PC) may be employed to form other portions of the case including the back face of the case and back plate. In one embodiment the back face, a lower portion of the side walls, the outer surface of the back face, and the back plate of the protective case is formed of a relatively rigid material (e.g., PC), the sides walls, the internal surface of the back face, and the front face wall of the protective case are formed of a relatively more elastic or flexible material (e.g., TPU, TPE, rubber). The outer surfaces of the side walls may include opposing slots that are configured so as to be able facilitate mounting the case to a connection mounting mechanism that is dimensioned and configured to engage the opposing slots and secure the case (and the electronic device therein) to the mounting mechanism. The mounting mechanism can be part of an armband or other mounting solution like a monopod or pole.

The operation, construction, and/or configuration and structure of the protective case are aspects of the invention including such as aspects as they relate to the constituent components of the case such the removable and interchangeable back plate and tension cord.

It should be understood that each of the foregoing and various aspects, together with those set forth in the claims and summarized above and/or otherwise disclosed herein, including the drawings, may be combined to support claims for a device, apparatus, system, method of manufacture, and/or use without limitation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects and advantages are described below with reference to the drawings, which are intended to illustrate, but not to limit, the invention. In the drawings, like reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout similar embodiments.

FIG. 1A is a back face perspective view renderings of a protective case for a mobile device having a removable back plate with a storage compartment and elastic cord that serves to retain a personal item therein. The mobile device depicted is an iPhone X and the elastic cord is retaining security card.

FIGS. 1B and 1C are back face and front face perspective view renderings respectively of the protective case for a mobile device illustrated in FIG. 1 with the mobile device and security card removed from the case.

FIGS. 2A-2B are exterior and interior perspective view renderings respectively of the back plate of the case depicted in FIGS. 1B-1C with the elastic cord wrapped around the perimeter of the lacing slot.

FIGS. 3A-3I are front perspective, back perspective, front face, back face, left side, right side, top side, bottom side, and a left side exploded views respectively of the protective case depicted in FIG. 1A with the mobile device contained therein and the elastic cord removed.

FIGS. 4A-4D is an exploded front, front perspective, front face, front perspective exploded view, and back face perspective view respectively of the protective case depicted in FIG. 3A.

FIGS. 5A-5C are renderings of the protective case depicted in FIGS. 4A-C, with the back plate removed. FIG. 5A is a perspective front face view, FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view taken across line 5B-5B as shown in FIG. 5A, and FIG. 5C is a cross-sectional view taken across line 5C-5C as shown in FIG. 5A.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are renderings of a mounting mechanism attached to an arm band and monopod (e.g. pole) respectively. The mounting mechanism is configured to engage into opposing slots on the outer surfaces of the side walls of the protective case to secure the case (and the electronic device therein) to the mounting mechanism.

Each drawing is generally to scale and hence relative dimensions of the various layers can be determined from the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As summarized above and illustrated in the drawings, disclosed herein are various aspects of a protective case 200, for a mobile device 100, that is capable of providing flexible user storage for personal items that is both interchangeable and removable from the case 200. A suitable elastic member 228, such as a tension cord, is adapted to holding the user's personal items like ear buds, keys, credit cards, license, etc. in the storage compartment 226 that is provided by a back plate 225 that is detachable from the case 200. Thus in operation, the user has the flexibility of using the back plate 225 as a standalone storage compartment 226 like a money clip when the back plate 225 is detached from the case 200 or have the storage compartment coupled to the case 200 and hence the user's mobile device 100.

Commonly illustrated in FIGS. 1-5 is a protective enclosure or case 200 for a mobile device 100. FIGS. 1-4 illustrate, by way of example only, various configuration and construction aspects of the case 200. In the particular implementation illustrated, the case 200 is configured for an Apple iPhone X mobile or smart phone device 100. It should be understood, however, that the case 200 may be configured for any mobile device or electronic device, including but not limited to portable or cellular phones, PDAs, MPS or audio/video devices, gaming devices, laptop computers or computing tablet devices having an interactive touchscreen display with screen edge finger gesture control capability.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1A, 3A-3E and 3H-3I, the iPhone X mobile device 100 includes a front face 110, a back face 120, a left side 130, a right side 140, a top side 150 and a bottom side 160. The front face 110 includes an interactive touchscreen 112. The back face 120 includes a dual camera and flash aperture 121 best depicted in FIGS. 3B and 3D. The left side 130 includes volume up/down buttons 131 and a ring/silent switch 132. The right side 140 of the mobile device 100 (which in the drawings is concealed by the case 200) includes a side button 141 (which is concealed by button 243 of the case 200 as best depicted in for example FIGS. 1A-B, 3A and 3F) that can turn off the device and/or touchscreen 112.

The bottom side 160 includes two sets of apertures 161 to facilitate communication of sound for the built-in stereo speakers and microphone that are housed at the bottom end region 116 of the mobile device 100. The bottom side 160 also includes a data and power port (specifically female Apple lightening connector) 162, which resides centrally on the mobile device 100 between the medial extents of the two sets of apertures 161 and facilitates wired charging and communication with the device 100. A metallic bezel 170 separates the front and back faces 110 and 120 of the device 100 and defines the perimeter thereof. The thickness 180 of the device 100 is the distance between the front face 110 and back face 120 of the device 100.

As depicted in FIGS. 1-5, the protective case 200 is comprised of a device compartment 205 that is defined by front and back face walls 210 and 220, left-side and right-side walls 230 and 240, and top-side and bottom-side walls 250 and 260. The side walls, 230, 240, 250, and 260 reside between the front and back face walls 210, 220. Each of the front face, back face, left-side, right-side, top-side, and bottom-side walls 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260 include inner surfaces 211, 221, 231, 241, 251, 261 respectively and outer surfaces 212, 222, 232, 242, 252, 262 respectively. The inner surfaces 211, 221, 231, 241, 251, 261 of the walls 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260 respectively are dimensioned to correspond in dimension to the front and back faces 110 and 120, and left, right, top and bottom sides 130, 140, 150, 160 of a mobile device 100, respectively.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1C, 3A, 3C, 3I, 4A-C and 5A-C, the front face wall 210 includes a touchscreen aperture 216 that is defined by a perimeter lip or projecting edge 214. The touchscreen aperture 216 facilitates visibility and user access to the interactive touchscreen 112 of the device 100 and may also allow for insertion and removal of the device 100 and/or the back plate 225 storage compartment 226 into and out of the case 200. The device compartment 205 (which is defined by the inner surfaces of the walls 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260) is dimensioned and constructed to receive and retain the mobile device 100 within the case 200 as depicted in the drawings. When the device 100 is inserted in the case 200, the inner surfaces 211, 221, 231, 241, 251, 261 of the case 200 are in contact with the corresponding outer surfaces of the device 100 and are configured to retain the device 100 in the case 200.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1C, 3B-E, 3I and 4A-D, the left side wall 230 includes (i) volume control buttons 234 that are positioned, dimensioned, configured and adapted to interface with the volume buttons 131 on the mobile device 100, and (ii) a ringer silent switch opening 236 positioned and dimensioned to correspond with the ringer silent switch 132 on the mobile device 100 to facilitate access thereto. As best illustrated in FIGS. 1B-C, 3A, 3C-D, 3F, 4A-B and 5A, the right side wall 240 includes a power button 243 positioned, dimensioned, configured, and adapted to interface with the side-button 141 on the mobile device 100. As best illustrated in FIGS. 3B, 3H-I, 4A, 4C and 5C, the bottom side wall 260 includes apertures 264 a-c that are positioned and dimensioned to surround the two sets of plurality of apertures 161 for the built-in microphone and speakers and the data and power port 162 of the device 100.

In addition, opposed mounting slots 238 and 248 are provided on the outer surfaces 232 and 242 respectively of the left and right side walls 230 and 240. The mounting slots 238, 248 are configured to receive correspondingly dimensioned protrusions 504 positioned on the inner facing surfaces of opposed mounting arms 502 a and 502 b of a mounting mechanism, such as the armband and monopod mounting solutions depicted in FIGS. 6A and 6B.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1A-C, 2A-B, 3B, 3D, 3I, 4A-D and 5A, the back face wall 220 includes a camera lens and flash opening 224 that is dimensioned to surround the dual camera and flash aperture 121 on the back face 120 of the device 100 and a removable back plate 225. As illustrated in the referenced figures, the back plate 225 includes (i) a concave outer surface that defines a storage compartment 226, (ii) a perimeter lip 223 that is configured to reside within channel 270 (best illustrated in FIGS. 5A-C) that is internally defined in the back face wall 220, (iii) attachment tabs 227 that include openings that are dimensioned to receive protrusions 322 that extend inwardly from the back face wall 220 when the back plate 225 is attached thereto, and (iv) lacing slots 229 that are configured to retain the elastic member 228, which in turn serves to retain the user's personal items against the back plate 225 storage compartment 226.

The elastic member 228, which is best depicted in FIGS. 1A-C and 2A-B, is in the form of an elastic band or cord joined at its ends via a connector 228 a. When laced about the lacing slots 229 to the back plate 225 as depicted, the elastic member 228 serves to retain the user's personal items to the back plate 225, and does so whether the back plate 225 is attached to the case 200 as depicted in FIGS. 1A-1C or removed from the case 200 as depicted in FIGS. 2A-2B. Notably, to facilitate independent use of the storage compartment 226 apart from the case 200, the elastic member 228 is attached only to the back plate 225 component. Thus when the back plate 225 is removed from the case 200, the user is provided freedom to store personal items entirely apart from the mobile device 100 contained in the case 200. The elastic member 228 provides both flexibility as to the type and size of items that can be stored into the compartment 226 and also easy access to remove and place the items for storage.

The case 200 is configured and constructed with sufficient flexibility to allow for the user to insert and remove the device 100 through the aperture 216. The protective case 200 may be manufactured using polymers or any suitable material such as wood and/or metal or combinations thereof to facilitate its operation. In one implementation, best illustrated by FIGS. 3I, 4C-D and 5A-C, the protective case 200 is formed of a multi-layered polymer construction comprised of a back component 320 and a front component 310 co-molded to one another. The back component 320 comprises the back face wall 220 including the outer surface 222 of the back face wall 220, the camera lens and flash opening 224 defined within the back face wall 222, and the lower regions of the side walls 230, 240, 250, and 260 nearest the back face wall 220. The front component 310 comprises the front face wall 210, the remaining regions of the side walls 230, 240, 250, 260, and regions of the inner surface 221 of the back face wall 220.

The back and front components 320, 310 define an aperture 321 in the back face wall 220 that is adapted to receive the removable back plate 325, which is configured to be reversibly attached to the back face wall 220. The perimeter of the aperture 321 in the back face wall 220 includes channel 270, which is defined between the back and front components 320, 310. The channel 270 is dimensioned to receive the perimeter lip 223 of the back plate 225. The back component 320 further includes protrusions 322 extending inwardly into the device compartment 205 from the back face wall 220 that are dimensioned to be received within openings in attachment tabs 227.

Each of the front and back components 310, 320 as well as the back plate 225 of the case 200 may be formed of one or more polymer materials, such as polycarbonate (PC), thermoplastic urethane (TPU), thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), nylon, silicone rubber or a combination thereof. Softer more elastic or flexible materials (such as TPU, TPE, or rubber) may form all or portions of the front component 310 including the front face wall 210, inner surfaces of the back face wall 220 and the mid and upper regions of the side walls 230, 240, 250 and 260, while relatively more rigid materials (such as PC) may be employed to form back component 320 and back plate 225 of the case 200.

In operation, the user would insert the mobile electronic device 100 into the case 200 through the aperture 216 by flexing the case 200. Once inserted into the case 200, the user could secure personal items to the storage compartment 226 on back plate 225 attached to the back of the case 200 by positioning them underneath the elastic member 228. Because the elastic member 228 or cord has adaptive flexibility, personal items of irregular shape like keys, thumb drives, make-up, and other personal items of the user (beyond cards and currency) are capable of being easily stored and removed.

Removing the mobile device 100 from the case 200 allows the user to remove the back plate 225 from the case 200 through the aperture 216 by exerting pressure on the outside of surface of the back plate 225 inwardly toward the device compartment 205 and thereby decouple the back plate 225 from the back face wall 220. The user can reattached the back plate 225 to the back face wall by inserting the perimeter lip 223 regions, on either end of the back plate 225, into corresponding regions of the channel 270, one end at a time. The user, for example, can reattach the back plate 225, by first slipping the region perimeter lip 223 into the longer region of the channel, which in the depicted embodiment is positioned nearer the top of the case 200 and then inserting the other end of the back plate 225 into the shorter region of the channel 270 that is nearer the bottom side of the case 200 by bending or flexing the back plate 225 and tucking the perimeter lip 223 into the shorter region of the channel 270.

Each of the foregoing and various aspects, or teachings herein together with those set forth in the claims and described in connection with the embodiments of the protective cases summarized above or otherwise disclosed herein including the drawings may be combined to form claims for a device, apparatus, system, method of manufacture, and/or use without limitation.

Although the various inventive aspects are herein disclosed in the context of certain preferred embodiments, implementations, and examples, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodiments and/or uses of the invention and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof. In addition, while a number of the various aspects have been shown and described in detail, other modifications, which are within their scope will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art based upon this disclosure. It should also be understood that the scope of this disclosure includes combinations or sub-combinations of the specific features and aspects of the embodiments disclosed herein, such that the various features, modes of implementation, and aspects of the disclosed subject matter may be combined with, or substituted for, one another. Thus, it is intended that the disclosure herein should not be limited to the particular disclosed embodiments or implementations, but should be determined only by a fair reading of the claims.

Similarly, this method of disclosure, is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that any claim require more features than are expressly recited in that claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in a combination of fewer than all features of any single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the claims following the Detailed Description are hereby expressly incorporated into this Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment. 

1. A protective case accessory for a mobile electronic device configured to be user attachable and removable from said mobile electronic device, wherein said mobile electronic device includes a thickness that is defined as the distance between a planar front face and a planar opposing back face of the mobile electronic device, a perimeter defined by top, bottom, right, and left sides residing between the front and back faces of the mobile electronic device, and corners defined at the intersecting regions of the sides, the front face of the mobile electronic device comprising an interactive touchscreen display, said protective case comprising: a device compartment defined by a front face, back face, left-side, right-side, top-side, and bottom side walls each having internal and external surfaces, wherein each of said walls provide corresponding protection to the front face and back faces and left, right, top and bottom sides respectively of the mobile device; an aperture defined in the front face wall of the device compartment that is positioned to overlie the interactive touchscreen display when the mobile electronic device is received and retained within the device compartment; said aperture being defined by a projecting lip that is configured to overlie the front face of the mobile electronic device when the mobile electronic device is received and retained within the device compartment; and wherein the back face wall of the protective case includes a removable back plate with a flexible tension cord that extends across a storage compartment formed into the outer surface of the back plate.
 2. The protective case of claim 1, wherein said storage compartment is defined by a concave surface in the outer surface of the back plate.
 3. The protective case of claim 1, wherein said flexible tension cord is comprised of an elastic band joined at its ends by a connector.
 4. The protective case of claim 1, wherein said flexible tension cord is removably secured to said back plate via lacing slots.
 5. The protective case of claim 1, wherein back plate includes a perimeter lip that is securable to said back face wall by inserting said lip into a channel formed in said back face wall.
 6. The protective case of claim 1, wherein said back face wall is formed of a first component and a second component, said first component being formed of material that is more rigid than said second component.
 7. The protective case of claim 1, wherein said back face wall is formed of a first component and a second component, said first component being formed of material that is more rigid than said second component and wherein said back plate is formed of a material that is more rigid than said second component.
 8. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the storage compartment is integrally formed as part of the back plate.
 9. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the back plate includes attachment tabs with openings therein and wherein said back face wall includes protrusions that are configured to be received within said openings when the back plate is secured to the back face wall.
 10. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the storage compartment formed into the back plate is secured within an opening that extends through the back face wall of the case.
 11. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the flexible tension cord extends multiple times across the storage compartment formed into the outer surface of the back plate.
 12. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the flexible tension cord overlaps itself as it extends across the storage compartment formed into the outer surface of the back plate.
 13. The protective case of claim 1, wherein the flexible tension cord overlaps itself multiple times as it extends across the storage compartment formed into the outer surface of the back plate.
 14. The protective case of claim 1, wherein said flexible tension cord is removably secured to said back plate via lacing slots and wherein said flexible tension cord is removable when the back plate is removed from the back face and not removable when the back plate is secured to the back face.
 15. The protective case of claim 1, wherein said flexible tension cord is removably secured to said back plate via lacing slots and wherein such lacing slots are covered by the back face when the back plate is attached to said back face.
 16. The protective case of claim 1, wherein said back face further defines a camera ring opening and wherein said back plate is spaced from said camera ring opening.
 17. The protective case of claim 1, wherein said storage compartment is dimensioned to receive one or more credit card and said tension cord is adapted to secure said one or more credit cards thereto.
 18. The protective case of claim 1, wherein said storage compartment is dimensioned to receive one or more car keys or ear buds and said tension cord is adapted to secure said one or more car keys or ear buds thereto.
 19. The protective case of claim 1, wherein said case includes one or more additional apertures and one or more buttons on one or more of said side walls.
 20. A protective case accessory for a mobile electronic device configured to be user attachable and detachable from said mobile electronic device, wherein said mobile electronic device includes a thickness that is defined as the distance between a planar front face and a planar opposing back face of the mobile electronic device, a perimeter defined by top, bottom, right, and left sides residing between the front and back faces of the mobile electronic device, and corners defined at the intersecting regions of the sides, the front face of the mobile electronic device comprising an interactive touchscreen display, said protective case comprising: a device compartment defined by a front face, back face, left-side, right-side, top-side, and bottom side walls each having internal and external surfaces, wherein each of said walls provide corresponding protection to the front face and back faces and left, right, top and bottom sides respectively of the mobile device; an aperture defined in the front face wall of the device compartment that is positioned to overlie the interactive touchscreen display when the mobile electronic device is received and retained within the device compartment; said aperture being defined by a projecting lip that is configured to overlie the front face of the mobile electronic device when the mobile electronic device is received and retained within the device compartment; said back face wall comprising a detachable back plate having inner and outer surfaces that define the internal and external surfaces, respectively, of the back face wall; a storage compartment formed into the outer surface of the back plate; a flexible tension cord that extends multiple times over the storage compartment; and said flexible tension cord being attached to said back plate such that it continues to extend across the storage compartment even when the back plate is detached from the protective case. 